Legislative update: a briefing for faculty and staff of the University System of Georgia, No. 2 (Jan. 21, 2003)

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
A Briefing for Faculty & Staff of the University System of Georgia

No. 2, Jan. 21, 2003

Gov. Sonny Perdue's Inaugural Address

`No Better Way to Improve Our State Than by Improving Education'

M oments after taking the oath of office as the state's 81st governor on Jan. 13, Sonny Perdue declared it to be "a new day for Georgia," urging state agency heads, elected officials and citizenry gathered for the ceremony to focus on "cooperation, consensus building and reconciliation."
Perdue also urged state officials and employees to "become better stewards of the people's money."
Noting that his

inauguration took place on the 210th anniversary of the founding of Georgia by a group of colonists led by Gen. James Oglethorpe, Perdue expressed admiration for the colonists' motto: "Not for ourselves, but for others."
"Humbled by history, lifted by your support, I won't forget I'm working for you," he said, adding that his election in November "was about putting the interests of the people

first."
"In the wake of an unprecedented election, we now have an unprecedented opportunity... to replace partisanship with partnership and build a new Georgia ... an educated Georgia, a healthy Georgia, a safe Georgia, and a growing Georgia," Perdue continued. "We should expect no less. And, together, we will deliver no less."
Perdue said he places a great deal of value on education at

all levels. "My mother taught high-school English for more than 40 years. Education was woven into the fabric of my childhood."
Added the new governor, "You can see the power of education in the beaming face of a grade-school student with a good report card, or the bright smile of a single mom as she walks across the stage to receive her diploma. Education is our future, and there is
See "Perdue," Page 2 ...

Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor's Inaugural Address
`Education is and Always Will be This State's Top Priority'

Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor vowed to focus on "the issues that affect the daily lives of our people" -- getting a good education, saving for college, job security, maintaining health-care benefits, and personal safety concerns, to name a few -- in his inaugural address on Jan. 13.
"I will represent Georgia's families -- they will be my only

special interest," Taylor declared.
He added that every decision he makes on behalf of families during the next four years will be guided by the following "guiding principles:"
Opportunities should be made as plentiful all across this state as they are in metro Atlanta;
Education should

always be the state's top priority, and every child should have access to the same quality teachers, schools and resources, no matter where in Georgia they live;
The state should continue to remove the financial barriers to higher education and insure that the HOPE Scholarship is

available for every deserving Georgia student; and
New job opportunities should be created and nurtured in every town and city in Georgia, not just in its larger cities.
"On Nov. 5, the people of Georgia hired us to come to Atlanta to do a job -- to take care of the people's interests and not the
See "Taylor," Page 2 ...

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE -- January 21, 2003, Issue No. 2

Excerpts From Gov. Sonny Perdue's Budget Address

Two days after taking office, Gov. Sonny Perdue delivered his budget plan to Georgia legislators. Excerpts from his Jan. 15 address follow:
Lt. Gov. Taylor, Speaker Coleman, members of the General Assembly ...
We met on Monday to celebrate one of the basic rituals of free government -- the people's elected leaders taking our oaths of office in an orderly transfer of power. We meet today
Higher Ed. Committee Chairs Appointed
Sen. Bill Hamrick of Carrollton was appointed to head the Senate Higher Education Committee last week.
The House of Representatives Higher Education Committee will be headed by Rep. Louise McBee of Athens.
A list of committee members will appear in next week's issue of Legislative Update.
Next Week:
Excerpts from the
Chancellor's budget address

to do the hard work of free government and fulfill one of our basic responsibilities as leaders -- the allocation of public resources for the public good.
How we spend our money tells a lot about us. Show me your checkbook register and I can find out pretty quickly what your values are and what is important to you. Are you a saver or do you live above your means? Do you hunt for bargains or pay top dollar? Do you pay your bills on time? When money is

tight, where do you cut back and what can you not do without?
Where your money goes paints a picture of what kind of person you are -- and that is just as true for state government as it is for individuals. What kind of state is Georgia? We're going to answer that question together during this legislative session. The budget we adopt will tell that story.
These are tough times. ... The surpluses we enjoyed in recent years aren't there anymore. ... This will not

Perdue
Continued from Page 1...

no better, more certain way to improve our state and the lives of its people, than by improving education."
Perdue drew considerable applause from the assemblage when he pledged to "start by working with, not against, our teachers." He added, "I will return control to those closest to the students -- our superintendents, our principals, our teachers, and our parents."
The new governor wrapped up his inaugural address by calling to mind several Georgians whose accom-

plishments have been inspirational -- Gen. Oglethorpe, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and former President Jimmy Carter.
"Inspired by those who have gone before, encouraged by the future's promise, buoyed by faith, we will build a state we can be proud of, we will educate our children for the future, and we will create a growing and dynamic state economy," Perdue said. "Together, with God's blessings, we will create a New Georgia for all our people."

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be a painless budget. This will not be an easy process. We're going to make trade-offs we don't want to make. We'll have to do some things we'd rather not do. ... But we'll hunker down and we'll get it done together because that's what the people of Georgia hired us to do. We'll be good stewards of their trust.
... Revenues have declined in all but three of the last 18 months, leading to a $620 million downward adjustment to state spending. It was
See "Budget," Page 2 ...
Taylor
Continued from Page 1...
special interests; to take care of those issues that impact them," Taylor said. "They did not hire us to bicker about petty politics, play partisan games, put party before people, or get sidetracked by side issues. They hired us to work together on their behalf, and that is what I will do."
Taylor pledged "to work together with my Governor for the good of all Georgians, to take this state to its place of continued greatness and everincreasing opportunity for all."

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE -- January 21, 2003, Issue No. 2

Excerpts from Gov. Perdue's Budget Address

Continued from Page 2...

find no fat in this bud-

clear to me that the state needs to go on a diet, and fast.

We cannot expect our economy to grow stronger if we do not

get. If you do, let me know, and I'll take care of it.

State revenues

invest in producing edu-

You've all made pro-

already were declining cated minds.

mises to your constitu-

when the General Assembly adopted the fiscal 2003 budget last spring. That budget included 5 percent cuts to department budgets across the board. At the start of the fiscal year, an additional 5 percent cut was required. ... Agencies were instructed to find these cuts in their 2003 budgets. ...
These cuts will be maintained in the FY 2004 budget. ...
I wish I could tell you these recommended cuts alone will produce a balanced budget, but they will not.
What can we not do without, even when times are lean? I have recommended minimal enhancements in these budgets, in line with our core principles. One of those principles is the importance of education.
Georgia is a state that understands that investment in education is the cornerstone of economic development and our future quality of life. We cannot afford to shortchange the children of our state or those who

That is why reductions to the Quality Basic Education formula and to the [funding] formulas for the University System of Georgia and the Department of Technical and Adult Education are 3 percent less than the reductions to most agencies.
... In higher education, we will continue support of the HOPE Scholarship Program by providing $373 million for tuition and other expenses for eligible students in FY 2003.
... We also will provide $81 million in University System formula funding to reflect increased enrollment and $28 million in bonds for major capital outlay projects on our university campuses.
In total, 55 percent of my recommended FY 2004 Budget -- $8.8 billion dollars -- goes to education. That tells the story of how we value education in Georgia.
... The budget proposals I have outlined today and which you soon will examine in

ents to support programs and projects. So have I.
... It is frustrating not to be able to do all the things you want to do or have all the things you want to have, but dealing with that hard truth is part of maturity and a sign of character. When I spoke to the members of this body a few weeks ago in Athens, I told you we'll be able to have the things we want and fulfill our promises to those we represent -- just not right now.
For now, we're on a diet, and a pretty strict one.
We can and should see this as an opportunity to improve our overall fitness by reforming the budget process. We have four years to do so. We must return to an era of true results-based, performance-based budgeting. Every years, we will examine each agency or department's funding request in its entirety. Line items that are no longer needed or that do not align with our core principles will be eliminated. And we'll

seek a higher education. detail are lean. You will carry out a sustained

series of performance audits to ensure that Georgians are getting the very best value for their tax dollars.
We can change our habits and improve our situation for the future. For now, we must be equal to the task at hand.
This is not the kind of budget I wanted to propose. The cuts are real and will cause real pain. ... But it is the budget I believe the situation demands.
I've said repeatedly since the election that you and I are partners. We are members of the same team -- Georgia's team. Hired by Georgia to do the people's work and be good stewards of their resources.
...Let's work together and show the people of Georgia that their trust in us is well placed.
Tough times test our character. Let's represent the true character of our state. Let's produce a budget that tells the story of a Georgia that is compassionate and confident ... bold and optimistic ... a Georgia that sustains its principles in good times and bad ... a great state that is equal to its greatest challenge.
Thank you.

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